This invention relates generally to wheelchair restraining devices and particular to a wheelchair restraining device that clamps the wheelchair in a fixed position.
The wheelchair restraining devices of the prior art included such devices as cables and straps anchored to the transit vehicle floor and adapted to be connected to the wheelchair axle and framework to prevent the wheelchair from moving.
Other devices consisted of a safety belt anchored to the transit vehicle body and adapted to pass around both the wheelchair and the person occupying the wheelchair.
Still other devices consisted of special clamping devices that were adapted to engage the wheelchair tire and rim at the rear of the wheel. The wheelchair passenger had to reach behind the wheelchair to release the clamp.
Another device utilized a fence or corral-like structure in which a lower and upper framework were rotated to come together and clamp both wheels of the wheelchair in compression proximate the top and bottom of the wheels.
Other devices included a vertical post having clamping mechanisms clamped onto some rigid portion of the wheelchair and also included a passenger operated trigger type release mechanism permitting release of the clamping system by the wheelchair passenger.
All of these prior art devices where either excessively complex and difficult or impossible for a disabled person to operate or they occupied an excessively large floor space to make them generally impractical to install on a transit vehicle.